Android Malaware on the Rise

In a recent post I mentioned that malaware for Android phones ie Samsung , HTC , LG was on the rise. The following are examples of attacks focused on phones with this Operating System.

ADROID FAKDEFENDER – has recently been found by Symantec researchers in some 3rd party APP markets. The app once installed cannot be uninstalled and will stop users from performing a factory reset. Once installed it will stop users from being able to run other apps until a premium version of the FAKE AV software has been purchased.

REMOTE ACCESS TOOLS – or rats have long been found on comprised windows and mac systems now ANDORAT for android systems has surfaced on android phones. The app once installed does not need the user to run an app and can be activated remotely via SMS. The app can be installed via seemingly innocuos apps be new binding technology.

Once installed it has the abilty to log calls, contact data, and all SMS messages on the device, as well as capture messages as they come in. It can provide live monitoring of call activity, take pictures with the phone’s camera, and stream audio from the phone’s microphone back to its server

Contact-stealing Android malware allegedly used to fuel $3.9M spam japanese police working with Symantec have arrested a 50-year-old Masaaki Kagawa of Tokyo for distributing spam that included e-mails with links to download Android.Enesoluty—a malware used to collect contact details stored on the owner’s device.

Android.Enesoluty is a Trojan distributed as an Android application file. It steals information and sends it to computers run by hackers.

The lesson to be learnt form this is to be very careful about apps you install on your android phone especially if you use your Android phone to do banking.